Church of the Holy Name of Jesus, Baroque church in Východní Předměstí, Plzeň, Czechia.
The Church of the Holy Name of Jesus is a baroque church in Plzeň that grew in stages: a medieval square chapel, now the entrance vestibule; a presbytery added in 1745–1746 by Matěj Ondřej Kondel, with elliptical side walls and a small bell turret; and a nave built in 1806–1807 by Antonín Barth, which reoriented the altar to the east.
The chapel was first rebuilt in 1745–1746 for the Plzeň physician and mayor Petr Pavel Helffer, who wanted a family tomb; Matěj Ondřej Kondel, then working on buildings designed by Jan Blažej Santini-Aichl, added a rectangular presbytery to the older square chapel. The Perner family enlarged it in 1806–1807 under builder Antonín Barth, reorienting the altar eastward, and it was consecrated on 2 January 1808. A 1933 burglary led students to found a society that restored the building, reconsecrated on 5 January 1936.
Locals call it "U Ježíška," the only one of the four Czech churches with this patronage to bear that nickname. The chapel was dedicated to the Prague Infant Jesus, and a bell cast in 1777 in Jakub Vilém Seitz's workshop hung here; a ceiling fresco by František Julius Lux was restored in 2005.
The church is located in the Východní Předměstí district and is open for visits during worship services and for viewing its architectural features. Visitors are advised to enter the interior respectfully and to be mindful of any religious activities taking place.
The church bears monument number 45030/4-4467, which grants it special protection status within the Czech cultural heritage system. This classification means the building is recognized as national cultural property and protected by law.
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